IT’S MIDTERM GRADE TIME!! WHO HAS “EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS” AND WHO “NEEDS IMPROVEMENT”?

An Editorial: by Jared Neumeier

RMFL – Well, once again, just like that, after it seemed like years of waiting for the season to just begin, we are already at mid-season. Exactly ½ of the games have been played… and exactly ½ of the regular season games remain to be played.

Time to evaluate who’s HOT and who’s NOT.

Time for excuses and time for second half goals.

In short, it’s time for the annual RMFL “Mid Season Report Cards”.

As you read through these evaluations, you must obviously note that the grades are a function of not only performance, but expectations. Liken it to kids who are in different grades, or in RMFL terms “different stages of team development”. Teams with a history of success or expected to succeed. They are graded as if in a higher grade level. Teams that are new or who have not had a history of success will get a little more leniency in their grade.

Further, expectations will be highly based on my pre-season rankings. To review that story and those rankings, simply click on this link: Neumeier’s Pre-season Previews.

FYI. For grading purposes: A = Outstanding performance against projections; B = Better than projected performance overall; C = Performed as projected; D = Performed below projected expectations; F = Failed to come close to expectations.

For organization purposes, I will proceed through the grades by division.

GLACIER KNIGHTS (C-): In their second season in the RMFL, the Knights were expected to learn from the first. They were expected to beef up their line and generally recruit for the skills positions. I felt they would pick up a couple of victories through the season, which they still can. I expected they would match up and maybe beat Great Falls at home and surprise Helena, Missoula or Pocatello at home. Even without such lofty expectations of playoff glory that many teams are burdened with, fielding the 21^st ranked offense and 19^th ranked defense is still an underperformance by anyone’s standards. The Knights have struggled through a few key injuries and they have struggled to find a permanent quarterback. They have 4 games to really make something positive out of this season. They still have home games with Missoula and Pocatello ahead and road games against Great Falls and Missoula. With a solid quarterback and good line play, they are capable of winning any of those. Mid-season MVP: Jason Zielanski (Leads the RMFL in tackles; great special teams player).

GREAT FALLS GLADIATORS (C-) : Remember, it is not the same team, but it is a team from the same city that had a team only one game away from an RMFL championship appearance in 2000. These Gladiators are a quality organization and they are a lot more consistence and talented than the versions that preceded them in 2002 and 2003. However, they were supposed to take that extra leap and at least catch up to Helena this season. I had them pre-ranked slightly lower, but not significantly than the Titans and Helena summarily beat them 37-0 in their own home opener, “nuff said”. Regardless, you cannot disrespect a team too much that is ranked 10^th in defense so far, even after playing a few pretty good offenses in Helena, Missoula and Pocatello. The offense, however, has been abysmal. Averaging only 134 yards a game is not “what the doctor ordered”. They had a good defense in 2004 and they knew all season that the offense must improve… but it hasn’t. Mid-season MVP: Mike Pease (24-1/2 tackles, 5-1/2 sacks for this strong Gladiator defense).

HELENA TITANS (B-) : I incorrectly predicted a drop off with the Titans. Not because they had lost anything, but because I could not see that they had improved enough to stay up with the rest. I believe, however, I left myself an out suggesting that perhaps keeping the same players together will be a big payoff finally in 2005. Well, it has. I know their 2-2 record isn’t exactly impressive, but losing two close contests to two very good teams needs to be taken in perspective. This team is 2 50+ yard Bryan Hilborn field goals from being 4-0 right now. They are ranked #3 in the league in offense, however, a dismal 17^th in defense. Actually, pretty typical Titan football from the past years. The offense has improved and I think the defense has improved. I believe that the defensive ranking will drop down during the remainder of the season, which includes Great Falls, Glacier, and Brigham City, not exactly offenses that are tearing it up right now. The finale against the Raptors could easily by for the division and a first round bye. Mid-season MVP: Tie - Jeremy Ewan (has taken the Titan offense to the “next level” with his rushing and catching out of the backfield abilities) and Bryan Hilborn (difference maker in close games).

MISSOULA RAPTORS (A-) : I know, I know, this grade seems a little lenient considering the 51-0 thrashing at the hands of the Wildcats at home a couple of weeks ago. But let’s not have anyone forget, this is still a FIRST YEAR team. They are going to be capable of laying an egg every now and again… as long as they learn from it. Even with that beating, they boast the 8^th ranked offense and 6^th ranked defense. They beat their state rival Helena IN HELENA and have handled their games and their team very well so far. If they had just kept the Wasatch game a little closer, this would be an A for the first year Raptors. A tough road game versus Idaho Falls looms. Winning that game will all but secure the division title for themselves. If they win their remaining games, except falter against Helena in the finale, the tie-breakers would favor them if both teams finish at 6-2. Mid-season MVP: Tie Justin Nixon and Tad Sheridan (offensive and defensive animals of the team respectively. Nixon averaging more than 6 yards a carry and 5 TD’s; Sheridan leads the RMFL in sacks).

BRIGHAM CITY DEVIL DOGS (C-) : After opening up with a tough win over what has become a questionable Snake River team (especially defense) at home, the Devil Dogs have proceeded to lay two big eggs against the Muddogs and Lionz. Both Goose Eggs. The Devil Dogs have dropped to 19^th offense and 20^th ranked defense, which, although is close to what I projected, is not exceptional enough to get better than a C grade. The minus comes in for the significance of those losses. Kamas Valley proved to be a tougher team than people thought (even me), by following up what they did to Brigham City (33-0) with a tighter-than-anyone-expected loss to the Rhino-Raiders the next week. Still, more was expected from the Devil Dog winged offense at home. The good news for the Devil Dogs is they still have 5 games remaining. The bad news is who some of them are against… Helena, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and the Wolverines. No “Dogs” in that bunch, no pun intended. Mid-season MVP: Luke Eyre (team leader in tackles, no one else is even close).

IDAHO FALLS MUSTANGS (A-) : As it turns out, the Idaho Falls Mustangs may have ended up with the toughest schedule in the RMFL. They started with 3 long road games against two solid 2004 playoff teams (Salt Lake, Helena) and a third against a quality first year team in the Idaho Matadors. Then they come home and edge Pocatello who is quickly returning to their 2001 championship form with many of those same old stars. How did they do? 4-0. I would not have predicted that. I projected them to lose one of those opening 3 and the Rhino-Raider game this Saturday. Now, I’m not so sure. After the Rhino-Raiders, the Mustangs then get Madison and Missoula at home. Their combined record of their next 3 opponents is 10-1!! A tie-breaker with the Mustangs that comes down to strength of schedule will most definitely go in the Mustangs favor. They are the 4^th ranked offensive team and disappointingly the 16^th ranked defensive team. They have a big defensive lapse in Helena (which accounts for the A-) , but they still won the game. So far, this team is eclipsing everyone expectations, however, their toughest stretch may be just ahead. Mid-season MVP: Travis Boden (Boden was the difference in several games; without him, the Mustangs may be looking at a 2-2 or 1-3 record. They would have definitely not gotten by Pocatello).

MADISON LIONZ (A) : In my pre-season previews, I felt that Madison would lose at least one of their first 4. Surprisingly to some, I wasn’t sure if it would be the Bulldawgs game or the Wildcats game. As the story goes, they won them both and have rolled right along. Throwing out their blow-out victories, the wins over the Bulldawgs and Wildcats were true quality wins. This teams defense has improved considerably and many are being surprised at just how much. The offense was expected to be good and it is. The Lionz hit the mid-season mark with the league’s 2^nd ranked offense (no surprise) and 3^rd ranked defense (big surprise). I had previewed Madison as the league’s number 3 team and they have played so far like the league’s #1 team. Of course, much remains to prove on the field. The Lionz have a tough road game against the Wolverines and then must play fellow-undefeated arch-rival, Idaho Falls before the holiday break. A long road trip to Great Falls and then a Friday Night finale against a growing power in the Pocatello Predators and the Lionz have no time to rest on past accomplishments. Mid-season MVP: Troy Dougherty (he can make it happen even against good teams with a great pass rush. He makes a good offense great).

POCATELLO PREDATORS (C+) : Even though the Predators are 2-2, they might be the best 2-2 team in the league. They have assumed the role that their rivals from up north, Idaho Falls, has played through the past several years… start slow and then turn it on at the end. Even though they lost 31-6 in their opener to Boise, they struggled to get their players out for that game and still hung in with a 0-0 score as halftime neared. Their wins were not against winning teams, but they were decisive wins against quality teams. They nearly pulled the upset against the Mustangs and they continue to show life and enthusiasm for the game. This week they take their 9^th ranked offense and 13^th ranked defense down to Orem to take on a defensive juggernaut in the Wasatch Wildcats. Since no one is expecting them to win that game, lets say for arguments sake, they don’t. They will then have two struggling teams before finishing the season against Madison. If this team continues to get back star players to build on, they are entirely capable of finishing 5-3 with a home playoff game and creating problems for anyone in the post-season. Mid-season MVP: Troy Sutton (a major player in 2005 on defense, offense and special teams).

BOISE ROUGHRIDERS (C) : This is clearly a grade that has suffered by expectations. Almost everyone expected a better showing against the Rhino-Raiders at home. Their offense has always been their albatross, however, it was pretty much non-existent in that contest. I was, however, surprised at how well they played the Bulldawgs, a team which I believe will turn some heads in the second half. They caught Pocatello at the right time and have handled their divisional opponents well thus far, so there shouldn’t be much to complain about in Boiseland. Defensively, however, they are ranked a respectable 7^th, offensively, a seriously understated 16^th. This is a number that has to improve in the second half. Anther bane they must overcome is that they have given up more sacks and interceptions than most RMFL teams. This is a trend they must reverse in the second half to position themselves for a long playoff run. With only divisional games left and a solid 3-1 record, there is no way that the Roughriders don’t make the playoffs and should at least have one home playoff game, but if they can turn things around and win out, a 7-1 record would have them hosting a couple of long road games for someone. Mid-season MVP: Maurice Sapp (in Jockumsen’s absence, making things happen on defense).

IDAHO MATADORS (C-) : This Matador team has been teetering on the verge of becoming one of the league’s teams to take very seriously. They started the season giving the Idaho Falls Mustangs all they could handle before going to Utah to get shut down by a solid Viper team. Then they sailed through Snake River before getting beat by the Roughriders in a game that was closer than the 26-6 score might appear. This is a 1-3 team that might be the best 1-3 team in the league right now. Mostly, I see this team performing at expectations. I would have expected a better effort against the Vipers, however. The Matadors are ranked 12^th on offense and 14^th on defense, which is just a bubble below average, however, they still have two games remaining with the Bulldawgs, one of the RMFL’s most potent offenses and the Roughriders. Regardless of how they finish, however, they are already having a very respectable first season. I don’t think the Matadors will have enough horses to win more than a couple of more games and fall just short of the playoffs, but I think this is a team that will factor into the 2005 race and be in contention in 2006. Mid-season MVP: Jerry Smith (second in the RMFL in receiving on an offense that has not been lighting it up so far.)

MAGIC VALLEY BULLDAWGS (C) : What I have seen so far with the Bulldawgs is exactly what I expected to see. I did think they had a chance of pulling off an upset at home over Madison, but Madison is another one of those teams that has played better than expected so far this season. However, I really wasn’t sure if they could handle the Vipers on the Utah trip. I figured they might lose at Boise, but I also think they might win all of their remaining games and finish 6-2. The 5-3 mark I projected, however, is probably the most realistic, certainly attainable. The Bulldawgs currently boast the #1 offense in the league. Mike Manning has been out of his mind with a 106+ quarterback rating and has already passed for almost 1300 yards. Defensively, they are ranked 14^th, which is pretty pedestrian, however, I think this is where the real sleeping giant is resting. The Bulldawg defense is fully capable of giving their divisional offenses fits the rest of the way in and will be the difference in whether they go 6-2 or even 4-4. The offense will score, can the defense make it worthwhile. This could be a very dangerous lower seeded playoff team. Mid-season MVP: Mike Manning (having his best season ever).

SNAKE RIVER SABERCATS (D) : Let me just say this: If this is truly the leagues worst team, then this league has come a LONG way!! The Sabercats are really a much better squad than their record would indicate. Offensively, they are a very respectable 12^th in the league. Thus far, they have shown more offensive life than the Salt Lake Nemesis, Boise Roughriders and the Idaho Matadors. Defensively, however, it has been a little ugly. They are not only ranked last in defense, they have give up more than 60 yards more a game than the next worst defense (Brigham City). At first, it looked as if they just couldn’t defend the run, then the Magic Valley Bulldawgs hung 435 passing yards on them and the defensive dam came down entirely. This is a problem they must solve this season, if they are to retain some positives going into the off-season. Fortunately for them, they only see the Bulldawgs once more. The Matadors and Roughriders offenses have proven thus far to be significantly less explosive. Regardless of how they finish, this is a quality team and organization. They play with class and will eventually get it all figured out. They are still capable of surprising a team that takes them too lightly and could still do some winning in 2005. Mid-season MVP: Tyler Collingwood (an big-time offensive star in the making; expect to see more an more of him in the future)

MORGAN MARAUDERS (B+) : The Morgan Marauders have clearly “exceeded expectations”. Winning in Colorado was a big victory for the expansion team from Morgan, especially after setting a new mark, throwing 32 consecutive passes without a completion! They also got a big victory over the suddenly respectable Kamas Valley Muddogs. They also should have beaten the Utah Wolverines after inching out to a 19-0 lead. Only a couple of big losses to the Pocatello Predators and Utah Blitz darken this expansion teams otherwise excellent season. Morgan, however, hits the halfway mark ranked a paltry 17^th in offense and 18^th in defense. It almost makes you wonder if they haven’t earned their 2-3 record using “smoke and mirrors”. They have truly been an enigma within themselves. They seem capable of playing with and even beating almost anyone, but statistically speaking, it is hard to determine why. This is a team that is well-coaches and plays together. They are always dangerous. A tough finishing stretch looms, however, as they will see the Rhino-Raiders, Nemesis and Vipers. No one can say, however, that they cannot win 2 or all of these games, leastwise, you won’t convince them of that. Mid-season MVP: Tie - Ben Wiscombe (doing it on both sides of the ball and leading the offense), Mitch Clark (potential to be the league #1 back).

RHINO-RAIDERS (C) : You can look at the Rhino-Raiders performance thus far in 2005 in a couple of ways. Many might wish to focus on the fact that they barely beat both Kamas Valley and the Vipers, two fairly good teams to be sure, but teams the Rhino-Raiders have normally been sitting starters in the third quarter for. Those games came down to the 4^th quarter. The Rhino-Raiders did, however, dispatch the highly respected and higher ranked Boise Roughriders pretty easily when it was all said and done and they are UNDEFEATED… just as you would expect. Thus the “Meets expectations” grade of a C. The Rhino-Raiders are the only team in the league that would get a C after being undefeated. That is what years of winning will do for you. Regardless, I doubt any Rhino-Raiders care. It is, after all, about winning. If there was any troubling aspect at all to the Rhino-Raiders start it might be that they are ranked only 6^th on offense. This is a team that is known far more for their offense than their defense. Their defense is mid-season ranked #1, no apparent problems there. In fact, however, at 3-0, and rolling into mid-season form, there aren’t any problems at all yet. Their remaining schedule, however, will be pretty tough. At Idaho Falls and then home for Morgan, the Wolverines and the game of the year in Utah, the Rhino-Raider/Wildcat battle. Could this be the first year since 1999, that this storied franchise actually loses a regular season game?

Mid-season MVP: Norvel Young (making the big plays to keep the offense moving).

VIPERS (C+) : Can anyone figure out the Vipers!?!? If they can, please write this column for me. They start off losing at home to the Bulldawgs, then they win on the road with the Wolverines and then decisively at home to the Matadors. Then they lose to a struggling Nemesis team at home before playing their guts out against the Rhino-Raiders in the rain. Let’s assume the Bulldawgs are better than everyone expected (which they are). Certainly the Nemesis are a solid team; a semi-finalist in fact in 2004. What does that mean for the Vipers who hit the mid-season mark ranked a mediocre 10^th in offense and 11^th in defense? It means they are a pretty darn good football team that has had some tough breaks. Although their offensive and defensive rankings are uninspiring, their play has been very inspiring. The scary thing about this, probably the best 2-3 team possible is that their remaining 3 games are all very winnable. They have Kamas Valley, Colorado and Morgan; 3 teams with losing records. Don’t be surprised to see the Vipers finish 5-3 and hosting a first round playoff game. However, this hard luck team will have to find a way to win a close game, because one more loss might just do it for this promising team on the rise. Mid-season MVP: Kyle Curtis (leading the RMFL in rushing and keeping the Viper offense moving.)

UTAH WOLVERINES (C+) : Pretty tough grade for a 3-1 team, isn’t it? I did have them projected as the 4^th best team in the league, however, and they have honestly failed to play up to that expectation so far. Losing decisively to the Vipers to open the season started the questions. It might be a good thing they didn’t have to go to Colorado, that might be the win that keeps them in the playoffs. If not for the big win versus arch-rival the Blitz, this grade would be even lower. They actually fell behind Morgan 19-0 before rallying to come back for a close win. Expansion Morgan!!? This team still has two undefeated teams on its remaining schedule in Madison and the Rhino-Raiders. So far, they haven’t played well enough to beat either of those teams. If they can’t beat them and they fall to a hungry Nemesis team, suddenly they are looking at what would be at best a 4-4 mark. The Wolverines have the players capable of winning these games; defensively, they are still the 4^th ranked team in the league and offensively ranked 11^th could be worse. I believe, however, that their offense will have to turn it around in the second half to either avoid missing the playoffs or an early playoff exit. Mid-season MVP: James Neslen (kick-off return beat the Blitz and Marauders; no Neslen, Wolverines could be 1-3).

COLORADO SCORPIONS (C-) : I was expecting some good things from this first year team. Still am. I certainly don’t hold it against the team and certainly not the players for the mis-communications leading to the Wolverine forfeiture. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have players ready to play that game. The Blitz game opened some eyes as they truly held close against a quality football team. It made everyone forget the 75-0 loss to the Wildcats in their opener. However, the biggest disappointment is losing at home to Morgan. A Morgan team that couldn’t complete a pass all game. If this team can turn it around, however, they are capable of winning their last 4. They will have Kamas Valley and Davis at home and Brigham City and the Salt Lake Nemesis on the road. Of course, depending upon which Scorpion team plays those games, they could just as easily lose all 4 as win all 4. Offensively ranked 18^th and defensively ranked 15^th, their numbers don’t support that they are the worst team in the league, certainly their 0-4 record does not tell the whole story for this franchise. Regardless, I have heard there are some real football players on this squad and the Blitz game proved it. Now they have to prove it for 4 more games to get the respect they should have been getting all along. Mid-season MVP: Scott Walston (made a splash at tailback, making an impact at quarterback as Newitt heals up).

KAMAS VALLEY MUDDOGS (B+) : How can you not grade an expansion team at least “exceeds expectations” that became the first team in the remember-able past that held the Rhino-Raiders offense to 14 points. You just can’t. Whatever the Muddogs do the rest of the season, they will have secured the respect of the league with that one game. Of course there were other games. They did lose decisively to the Marauders and the Nemesis before seemingly turning it around with a big victory over Brigham City and then the big Rhino-Raider game. Still, Kamas Valley has hope. They have the 13^th ranked offense, however the 9^th ranked defense which includes a game against the Rhino-Raiders which usually means your defense takes a little nose-dive in the rankings. Their remaining schedule seems a little tough to figure this team for the playoffs in 2005, however. They do play the Vipers and Scorpions which will be tough games, but not ones you would figure they may not win. Then they have the Wildcats and Blitz. Whatever their key to success against the Rhinos, they will have to repeat in those games…in fact all of their games to have a playoff shot in 2005. This team will prove in the last few weeks if a pre-season rank of 19^th was the biggest mistake I made in all. Mid-season MVP: Will Faleola (tempted to go with rushing leader Albums, however, defense got it done against Rhinos and Brigham City) Faleola is a defensive leader for this team.

SALT LAKE NEMESIS (C) : The Nemesis have pretty much played strictly according to projections. So far they have beaten Kamas Valley easily, lost to Idaho Falls in a close one (although, at home, this was a game they needed to win), beat arch-Rival the Vipers and then lost to Wasatch. They are 2-2… and should be. Their offense is ranked 15^th and their defense is ranked 8^th. Harold Regan has scored a slew of touchdowns off of picks and other than that, this team is in desperate need to develop some identity and go earn some significant respect. They finished 2004 on a real high note, scoring 28 points or so against the Rhino-Raiders in the semi-final playoff game after beating Helena in Helena in the first round. The Nemesis should be better. And they know it. The Nemesis are certainly capable of winning their remaining 4 games. They play a Utah Blitz team that has certainly seemed pretty mortal the past two weeks, a Wolverine team that has struggled, but was good enough to beat the Blitz and then Morgan and Colorado who have losing records. This team needs to get their rushing offense together most of all. They are 20^th in the league in rushing, trailing only Snake River. They are averaging only 55 yards a game rushing; there are several running backs in the league that average more than that on their own! If they can figure out how to inject some rocket fuel in their offense, they could easily run the table and gain a high playoff seed, elsewise, they will have plenty of time in the off-season to figure out where it all went wrong and what can we do to fix it for 2006. Mid-season MVP: Harold Regan (6 interceptions, 4 touchdowns… nuff said).

UTAH BLITZ (C+) : If you are a football purist, you have to love this team. Great defense and a serious power running game. They take their big strong linemen and they run their big strong backs behind them and they get yards and they move the sticks. Pretty simple. Now just try and stop it. Unfortunately for the Blitz, the Wolverines may not have stopped it, but they did slow it down enough to outpoint them. The Blitz are 3-1, which may seem “better than projected”, however, I did have them projected around 7^th and so far, they have played easily the easiest part of their schedule. So far, they have played and defeated Morgan, Snake River and Colorado (combined record: 2-11). They lost to the Wolverines, the only team with a winning record. What lies ahead for top rushing team in the RMFL (averaging about 233 yards a game) will be none other than the Nemesis, Wildcats, Rhino-Raiders and then they finish up with upstart, Kamas Valley. The combined record of these teams is 9-6. As the Blitz go through the season, they may have to develop their passing game a little more, and I believe pass on first down more against these better teams if they are to maintain their playoff bound course. The Lionz did them a big favor with a win over the Wildcats, so if they can get their 5^th ranked offense and 5^th ranked defense to continue to play at those levels, a division championship is not out of the question. Mid-season MVP: Offensive Line (ZERO sacks says it all).

WASATCH WILDCATS (B) : Since I wasn’t really sure they would win the Madison game, I can’t count that one against them too much. Other than that, this team has been nothing short of dominating. They have outscored solid quality teams, Missoula and Salt Lake by a combined 80-6; Missoula was even home. They took care of Colorado in much the same way. Madison looks more like a speed bump far in the distance to this developing powerhouse. Their defensive line has been nothing short of phenomenal and is second in the RMFL with 18 total sacks. While their 2^nd ranked defense has been great, their 7^th ranked offense hasn’t been bad either, although only two other RMFL teams have given up more than the 14 sacks the Wildcat offensive line has yielded and if there is a potential Achilles heel for the Wildcats, it might be along the offensive front. The remaining schedule for the 2000 RMFL champs is pretty difficult. Of their final 4 games, they have Pocatello, the Utah Blitz and the Rhino-Raiders still to play. If the Wildcats can play like the team that beat Missoula 51-0, they can run the table (yes, even against the Rhino-Raiders), however, if they play like the team that lost to Madison or has averaged 3+ sacks yielded a game, they may not even earn a home playoff game. There is no question, however, they will be in the playoffs, they are playing for seeding and respect. Mid-season MVP: Tony Saunders (biggest offensive weapon so far in an offense that will have to come alive.)